The Wedding Season by Deborah Hale Read Free Book Online

believe a marriage between my brother and Miss Leonard will make them both miserable, would you then endeavor to advise her against the match?”
    “Are you suggesting we wage a debate?” Glints of interest and amusement sparkled in her eyes. “The kind you have in Parliament?”
    “I expect it will be far more engaging than the dull business of government.” As they passed beneath a trellis, Sebastian plucked a rosebud and offered it to her. “But I hope it will give us both an opportunity to consider aspects of the matter we may not have done previously. If we endeavor to keep open minds, perhaps we can reach a decision that will benefit all concerned.”
    Rebecca lifted the pale pink blossom to her nose and inhaled its fragrance. Sebastian could not help notice how perfectly it matched the color of her lips.
    “Is that how our system of government works?” she inquired with an arch of her eyebrow that conveyed astute insight.
    “Sometimes,” Sebastian admitted with a chuckle. “Let us say, that’s how it is intended to work.”
    “But would you not have an advantage over me?” She wagged the rosebud at him like a scolding finger. “After all, you are a veteran of many Parliamentary debates, against some of the greatest orators of our time. I am not even permitted to vote, let alone serve in government.”
    Though she laughed at the absurdity of her suggestion, Sebastian did not find it so outrageous to imagine a woman of her integrity and judgment enacting laws for the good of the country.
    “Depend upon it, my dear, you have a greater advantage than you may realize.” His growing regard for her, to begin with. His reluctance to contradict her. His desire to listento the sound of her voice. “I would fancy my chances better against any member of the House of Lords.”
    They strolled through the intimate, hedge-walled garden. Since Claude and Miss Leonard had already moved on, they did not linger. Sebastian did not trust himself alone with Rebecca in such a place. Not in his present mood.
    “Very well, then,” she agreed after silently mulling over his proposal…his suggestion for several minutes. “I fear you are only flattering me to win my cooperation, but I believe this represents my best opportunity to help Hermione. Besides, I owe it to her to consider whether there is a possibility this marriage might not be in her best interest after all.”
    “What about your interests? Have you never given them any thought?” During his career in Parliament, Sebastian had learned the surest means to enlist support from anyone was to appeal to their self-interest.
    Rebecca shook her head. “I don’t understand. Miss Leonard’s engagement has nothing to do with me.”
    “It will affect you, though, will it not? Once Miss Leonard is married, she will no longer require a companion. You will be obliged to find a new position.”
    Rebecca gave a sharp little intake of breath, as if he had jabbed her in the stomach. Necessity urged Sebastian to exploit the weakness he had exposed. Anything that elicited this kind of response clearly mattered a great deal to her and could be turned to his advantage. But he was distracted by a deep pang of concern. That last thing he wanted was to cause her distress.
    But before he could muster an apology, she answered in that disarmingly honest way of hers. “What you say is true. I cannot pretend I am looking forward to leaving behind the life I have made for myself in this idyllic part of the country. Nor am I eager to go elsewhere and begin all over again. Iknow there are many who would relish such a change, perhaps even regard it as an adventure.”
    As she spoke, her voice grew softer and huskier until it died away altogether. Sebastian knew what she meant to say next. “But you are not one of those people?”
    Rebecca shook her head. “I cherish everything familiar. I long for stability and security the way some people long for fame or fortune.”
    As direct and open as